


Love is a criminal

by gingeroseBRen



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Armitage Hux Has Issues, Armitage Hux Needs A Hug, Blood and Violence, Drama, F/M, Friends to Lovers, GingerRoseWeek2020, Gingerflower, Gingerose, Gingerrose - Freeform, Glasses, Hurt/Comfort, Rose Tico Deserved Better
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:22:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24776839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gingeroseBRen/pseuds/gingeroseBRen
Summary: Who is the gingerhead nerd at Rey's house, what does he have to do with Rey, Rose's friend?
Relationships: Armitage Hux & Rey, Armitage Hux/Rose Tico, Kylo Ren/Rey
Comments: 18
Kudos: 11





	1. Hey, sis

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Love is a criminal](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/634339) by Jesephine Rivarez. 



> Oh, God, I can't believe I'm doing this! If someone had told me four years ago that I would translate something into English, I would have laughed heartily.
> 
> But fuck, I'm doing it! Now! And I'm happy!
> 
> I am translating to you my story, which I have been writing since February. I hope, you like it.  
> I will edit this work as I get used to the site. 
> 
> P.S. Thank you, [MgraHAnamcara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MgraHAnamcara), my beta for correcting my text

"I mean, what the hell?! Why aren't you going to the party? " Rose was outraged. She was took a quick look at Finn's car parked under the window.

They had to pick up Rey and go to Poe's party. A closed party in honor of his birthday. Oh, God, this is so cool! They had been preparing for a month, even bought new dresses, Rose had bombshell manicures done for herself and Rey.

“Just a few hours ago you had no plans! Are you serious now ?!” Rose gestured to Finn to wait a couple more minutes. He was already starting to get annoyed.

"I'm absolutely serious. Sorry, something’s have come up, I really would like to get there, but I can't" Rey bit her tongue, to avoid saying too much to her friend. If she told her what had happened, Rose would come running and call the cops, but Rey didn’t want that. No prying eyes. This only concerns the two of them. This is her deal with him…

Actually, Rey hoped it was just a hallucination. Now she blinks, pinches herself, and then wakes up in one of the rooms, at a party, in front of the TV, with Rose and Finn. But it was real. At this moment it was she, who was sitting in front of the mirror in her room, and behind her was the man, who knew her better than anyone. The dangerous man, who, she thought, had died six years ago, after scaring the hell out of her and giving her another psychological childhood trauma. So he stood behind her, watching intently, waiting for her to put down the phone and turn to him. But Rey didn't want to talk to him at all. She was well aware that their conversation would not be pleasant.

Her ears were ringing with worry, and Rey was already listening faintly to what was being mumbled into the phone in response to questions. She didn't even remember them, just tried to keep her eyes on his reflection in the mirror.

"We are at your house in a minute!"

Rey didn't even have time to retort. There were beeps on the other side that she wanted to believe he hadn't heard her friend's last sentence.

"Yeah, okay, see you tomor - ..."

He snatched the phone from her before she could block the screen: he dropped it on the table and roughly turned Rey around by the shoulder. His irritability didn't go away…

Rey looked at the uninvited guest sullenly. The fear of this man was extremely strong. But in addition to this feeling, no matter how much she tried to deny it, she also felt joy. He might not expect a warm welcome from her, but he was alive, and that was nice. She wanted to smile at him sincerely, maybe give him a hug like good old days. The only problem was that Rey owed this man a lot. And now he's come to collect his debts. The question of what exactly a man wanted in return was terrifying.

"Well. Hey, sis"

When Rey came to the shelter, at first it was difficult for her to get used to the local rules and life as a whole: no fun games, running with the neighbors ' children on the street and other joys of childhood. For a long time, she couldn't accept the fact that now she had no one, and she had to take care of herself, no matter what pastime. She also learned that it was extremely difficult to find friends in that place. First, everyone was for themselves, and second, no one wanted to mess with the tiny tot.

Rey Kennobi pretty soon became a Rey Nobody, then nobody: a small grey mouse that nobody noticed. This had its advantages: not being noticed — no beatings and no mockings as often as they could. They just ignore Rey. Being a nobody was easier than trying to fight alone for your authority with the older guys, so Rey got used to her place: like, not at the bottom, and that was fine.

After two years in the orphanage, Rey had almost accepted that she would remain there until she came of age: they rarely had good families, and even less often — these families wanted to see Rey.  
It's a long time to wait for adulthood. Ten years, almost an eternity! But luck had been with her earlier.

But luck had been with her earlier.

In the summer, a new boy was transferred to them from another orphanage. He was gingerhead and scrawny, green-eyed, with a bruised cheekbone, and bloodstained knuckles on both hands: this was the first time Rey had seen him. As soon as he appeared, all attention was immediately redirected to his person. No wonder, for he stood out so much for his pallor among the swarthy children, and in all his manners he looked like an alien from a rich family. These conclusions aroused an even more violent hatred of his person, and very soon he became an outcast. They often teased him for his appearance, beat him, and found other sophisticated ways to get him, but he never remained in debt. Rey often saw him in the evenings, sneaking down the hall to his room, which he shared with five other children, wiping blood from his face or holding his side.

He and Rey had only become friends during his second month at the orphanage. He was unsociable and didn't want to make friends, although perhaps if he told someone the truth, there would be those who would stop treating him like a rich creep and respect him, but Hux never told anyone. Only to her, a small girl who somehow seemed like a good ally. The lad introduced himself as "Armitage", although in a fairly short time the name turned into a simple "Armie" (Rey hated pretentiousness, and the friend's full name seemed too formal and unpleasant to her), and offered a helping hand. Seven-year-old Rey was happy madly that she was appreciated, and not just by her peers, but by a guy who was several years older than her!

Their friendship gradually developed into a mutually beneficial relationship: they supported each other, helped, and in general became a great team. Armitage had always called Rey as "little sis," and they had become very close indeed. She was over the moon, listening to his conversations and promises: he assured her that when he left the orphanage, he would take her with him.

But he didn't take her…

"I would like to say that I am glad to see you, but you have taught me to see that there’s a catch in everything" Rey slightly raised the corners of her lips into a tight smile.

"That's not how I pictured our meeting" Hux said resentfully, patting her shoulder and picking up the phone from the table. "But you're right, there's a catch. I urgently need shelter."

His view moved quickly over the remaining open contact.  
Rey didn't call the police. Like a good girl, all she did was talk to her friend: "Rose."

The first thing Rey wanted to ask was "why he needed shelter". But he hated it (when she asked stupid questions), so she kept it to herself.

So someone knows he's alive.

"You didn't think they'd be looking for you here first? Not very smart of you-..."

"I came here so you would lead me to someone I can trust," he said, putting the phone in his pocket and moving away from the table. "And I think I found her."

Rey bit her lip thoughtfully. Her friend was really the person to whom Rey could confide any of her secrets. But even Rose didn't know who "Armitage Hux" was. She didn't know anything about Rey's childhood, because Rey was so careful to hide these pages of her life. Now two people, who knew enough interesting and intimate details about her, would meet.

This is a real disaster!

"I think, you are perfectly happy to have me back" he tilted his head to one side, looking into her eyes. "I missed you, honey. I came back from the dead to see you, and you didn't even thank me. It breaks my heart."

Rey frowned.

"You're the reason I'm like this. You've made me paranoid!" Rey finally got to her feet, standing directly in front of the man.

There was the sound of a car approaching under the windows.

"You thought I was going to kill you, silly?" he laughed and pulled her into his arms. Rey wrapped her arms around his neck, noticing that he wasn't as tall for her as he had been. But the hugs are still warm. "If I wanted you dead, I'd kill you agai -..."

The doorbell rang with a deafening trill. Rey released Armitage and pushed him away from her as she ran downstairs to open the door for her friend. Rose had probably already prepared a hundred questions and was beside herself with anger, and Rey couldn't find the right words to explain everything.

Where to start?

How to imagine everything?

The truth, of course, does not need to be told in any case: the friend will certainly be on her side, but the police will still call for prevention. And these guests Rey was never happy with…

She froze by the door, not daring to open it. What if his motives weren't as harmless as he'd said? Why should she be sure that he wouldn't kill her and her friend as well? She knew he could be terribly unpredictable. He probably found out all about her before he came. And as always, he has hundreds of decisions, and moves, calculated in advance. Armitage had not lost his strategic ability, she was sure of that.

Rey stuck the key in the lock, turning it: she still believed him. It was probably just a test to see if she remembered or not.

Of course she remembered. 

He always hugged her to show that he was sincere.


	2. Rey's BF?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, MgraHAnamcara, my beta for correcting my text!

Rose didn't even listen to any excuses (She has ignored the excuses): she simply pushed Rey aside as soon as the door opened she crossed the threshold with a confident step. After a quick glance around the room, glancing into the small kitchen, bathroom, and storage room, turned to her friend, finally noticing her.

"There's only one thing I can understand from your condition" Rose glared at the ceiling. "They're upstairs, aren't they? Did your parents deign to come?" Tico was looking at Rey quite seriously. And with undisguised anger.

Rose was convinced that her friend's parents were ordinary alcoholics who left their daughter on the street because they couldn't feed her. Rey did not try to dissuade her of this, nor did she try to find out why Tiсo had drawn such conclusions. Maybe because Rey never talked about her parents, and if someone asked her about them, she tried to keep quiet... Or get terribly angry. Rey didn't want to explain anything, and she didn't want to dig into her memories especially, because it took a lot of effort to forget about the past. And to forget about it, of course, Armie helped.

"No, they are not here" Rey closed the door, taking her friend's arm.

She had to think very quickly about what to do next.

Invite Rose upstairs, introduce her to Armitage, and then go to the disco as if nothing had happened? Or should she say that she was just sad about the session and wanted to prepare for the test, so she changed her mind about going? Or...

"But we're not alone, are we?" her friend's voice was suddenly quieter. Rey looked at her in surprise, trying to figure out where she'd made the mistake: there was no sound from the second floor, so there was no way to know that someone was in the house with them.

Necessary to calm Rose down before she can make a fuss and call Finn. Rey turned her friend to face her and put a finger to her lips.

"Shh, don't worry, okay?" she caught the startled look in her friend's eyes, the cautious movement of Rose's hand toward her cell phone, and added hastily "And no, I'm not a hostage, it's all right" she said in the tone of Tiсo's voice. "Simply…"

"Your chatter won't let me do any work!" a male voice came from the direction of the stairs, drawing the attention of both girls. Rose couldn't hide her obvious surprise, and even opened her mouth to say something, but she couldn't decide where to start: what was a man doing in Rey's house, who the fuck is he, or what the hell was he doing?!

She watched with undisguised curiosity as a stranger in a dark shirt slowly descended to them, clutching a book (Tico was glad to see at least the title, but he was covering the writing on the cover with his hand). She stood on tiptoe to see his face, but the man took another couple of steps and stopped, apparently not wanting to show himself completely.

"Hmm, he's quite tall..."

"I'm...Rey, you didn't say you had a boyfriend!" Rose, annoyed that she had found out the news by accident (She might not have found out at all!), cast a meaningful glance at her friend, and then took a couple of steps toward the stairs.

Rey waved her hands in protest. "If that were the case, I would have told you! It's not..." she followed her friend.  
Rose couldn’t do anything but stare at Armitage.

"Why not?" he, who had been looking to the left at the supposed source of the sound, turned to look ahead at his feet. The guest was already standing at the bottom of the stairs.

She was looking at him now with an appraising, condescending gaze, and the emotions were kept changing on her face.

The man was thin, a bit too thin, and Rose found herself thinking that he was clearly some nerd-wimp, and also he was definitely not familiar with sports, or with the concept of a gym in general. But then her gaze went higher, and her mind finally got the answer to the question by what kind of book the man was holding ("Introduction to the photochemistry of organic compounds", what is it , photochemistry?), her gaze went a little higher, noticing the top two buttons that were not fastened, which did not correspond at all to image of a nerd. Finally, she saw his face, the red stubble almost completely shattered all Tico's ideas about nerds! Shouldn't they be... clean-shaven and exceptionally neat? Rose looked from her chin to her lips, which were set in a single line, to the sharp cheekbones… And ridiculous big glasses! Tico met the dangerously piercing green eyes and came to a conclusion.  
"Strange. He's a very strange guy...".

The man only grinned briefly, reading all her thoughts from her face as if she were an open book; and then he became serious again. His brows drew down to the bridge of his nose, forming a small furrow on his forehead.

"Well, I don't have time to talk to you here. Either get lost or shut up" the voice was tired and slightly hoarse.

Rose didn't even feel like protesting, even though they'd just been told off, to put it mildly. And by whom? Some stranger she had never seen before! Still, Rose didn't resent his claims, because she knew what it was like when you needed to focus and do something important, but you were distracted by other people's conversations. Rose just did not know what to do now: the usual desire to get to know someone, to find out something interesting about someone, as always arose at the wrong time. But he had taken an interest in her, too, she though?

"It must have been my imagination," the mind said with cold insistence. She didn't want any strange types to fall for her. The man had turned around, changing hands to hold on to the railing. But his movement was slow enough to cause the book to move a little, inappropriately revealing to the girl who was still standing in front of him a small spot, a shade darker than the shirt. The man noticed the question on Rose's face, which disappeared after a moment, and changed hands, holding the book closer to his body. His useless bandage, which had begun to bleed again, was in urgent need of replacement, and if it hadn't been for the visitor, he would have immediately addressed the problem.

Rose bit her tongue and honestly wanted to pretend that she didn't see anything, that she definitely didn't want to ask this ridiculous awkward stranger anything. It's none of her business, is it? But Rose wouldn't be Rose if she didn't say anything and turned away, ignoring what she saw. She turned to Rey, who was standing behind her and now pulling her away from the stairs and back into the hall; and yet she voiced her guess.

"Is that ... is that blood?" The question caught Rey off guard, and she turned her questioning gaze at the beginning to Hux, as if he could send her an idea with just the power of his mind; and then at Rose, who was waiting for an explanation. Almost automatically, Rey wiped her nose with the back of her hand: the nervous intake of breath made the disturbed the mucous membrane of her nose with dust and sent a signal to her brain to sneeze. This desire was not realized, but the movement unexpectedly gave Rey an idea.

"Yes, a nosebleed" she said, quite calmly, and shrugged. "He's got a blood pressure problem. Sometimes such incidents happen". She took Rose's elbow and gave Hux a quick, searching look, hoping he understood her message.

Why should she protect him? He brought problems, let him solve them himself. Is it her fault that he didn't have time to prepare a suitable story for the explanation? So she didn't have to blame herself.

Tico was satisfied with the answer. Yes, such health problems could well be suitable for someone like him. Pale, thin, and... Rose smiled confounded as she caught his eyes on her.

The man rolled his eyes in response, but didn't say anything and seemed intent on going back upstairs. Just like that, without saying goodbye or even saying hello. Tico was definitely not going to let him go without at least finding out his name. Rey put her in an extremely awkward position, with her inhospitality and lack of basic politeness. She was supposed to introduce them to each other, but what was the result? Rose is forced to just watch in silence as someone she has never seen and may never see again walks up to the second floor. Without a single hint of desire to continue the conversation. Nicely.

"Oh, Rey, there will be an infinite number of questions, you can't get away with it!" Tico turned to her friend, and her gaze fell on Rey’s dress. Precisely! Disco! They were just shamelessly late for the most important part of it! Well, to hell with the nerd, she'd have to ask Rey about him on the way. The main thing is to get her out of the house and not let her get away with some false excuses.

If Rey was going to choose this guest over her, Tico would just laugh in her face. Rey hadn't even introduced the man, so he wasn't that important to her. So, nothing terrible would happen if she left him for an hour or two without her attention.

"Finn's already waiting for us outside, so I can't go back without you. I will be ashamed even to look him in the eye: I came to persuade you, and I’m going back with nothing!" Rose reached the door and turned to Rey to look at her face. Well! Talk about the nerve of this badass who made her burn with curiousity without giving her anything to quench her thirst and insatiable mind-consuming interest. If the suffering didn't pay off, Tico would tell her what she thought later, as she always did. Rey should have remembered by now that Rose didn't like omissions, and if she was being teased about a secret, she was bound to find out about it. And save it. Because Rose wasn't a gossip girl, just curious. Inquisitive to the point of horror. Rey bit her lip and tried to look regretful. It was convincing, but not good enough, because Tico stopped the attempt and almost immediately waved it away.

"You're coming! I'm not going back without you" she insisted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I can't leave him alone, he's only just arrived, and..."

"If you don't want to leave him, let him come with us" Rose said. "But Finn won't move without you, either. He'll use up all the gas, but he won't leave"

"I still don't think it's a good idea" Rey said, glancing toward the stairs, wondering if Armitage could hear her.

Rey just couldn’t ask Rose out of the blue to help her out with Hux. The best tactic was to play on Rose's personal interest. Only Rey didn't want them to be around. All she could hope for was their ability to keep secrets. This is a great opportunity to test both of them. So she took the risk.

Okay, if Rose had offered to bring him along with them to the disco, then she didn't mind the fact that she had to endure his presence. He’d be grumbling about the noisy teenage discos he'd grown too tired of. Rey mentally chuckled at this arrangement, but outwardly showed her distress.

"I understand, you getting all dressed up and your make up is on fleek, but Rose, you must realize, I cannot leave him here, he’s just arrived"

"No, I don’t understand!" Tico interrupted her and opened the door, gesturing at the car where Finn was standing, annoyed. "You have a couple of minutes to make up your mind. Or I'll have to go to extreme measures".

Rey couldn't help but smile. Well, if the decision was hers, then Rose had to take it in any form, as long as it satisfied the first part of the agreement: going to the disco.

"I was supposed to take him to a hotel that he wanted to rent for a while, and before that, I ..." Rose's face changed.

"Hotels, it's so expensive!" Rey suppressed a sly smile. "You have a big house, why don't you just..."

"Him? Stay with me?" Rey shook her head, laughing. "You know I'm too noisy. I sing with my headphones on, I talk loudly to myself when I'm studying something, and I can't sit in one place for long, and I'm terribly annoyed if someone else lives with me. I'm used to living alone, Rose. So don't make me feel like the last bastard throwing out a man out on the street because of my selfishness". Tico was taken aback by this unexpected admission. So this fool didn't have a place to live yet, but he was willing to pay for an expensive hotel just to sit in peace and mind his own business… So strange. Why pay a lot of money to rent a hotel if Rose can provide the same conditions, only for a much lower fee. She needed all the money she could get, because soon she had to pay for the new semester, and she hadn't raised the necessary amount. And why was Rey telling her this now? Why… The picture formed almost instantly. It was so easy that Rose gasped with joy. This is exactly like Rey: with her simple hints! Her friend just subtly suggested that she could give Rose a chance to earn some money for university, but she should offer to help. Stupid, really, why hadn't she guessed it right away?

"Well, at least when I'll sit down to my books, just don't distract me, I'll be silent and read." Rose couldn't help but think of her last exam preparation and chuckle. Yeah, if flipping through memes and news feeds could be called smart reading, then she would have long been some kind of scientist: because for the life of her, she couldn't read academic literature for long and continuously. Concentration lacked any incentive. Previously, this incentive was Paige, who had the discipline of the reading process, but now that she had moved out, Rose felt completely abandoned. Alone, sad and ... too much freedom. She's just not used to it.

"I also remember that one of your rooms is empty. Paige won't be back until summer, will she?" Rey saw Rose's face suddenly darken, and put it down to her usual melancholy. In fact, Tico was seriously considering the offer. So far, she knew absolutely nothing about him, nothing at all. The only guarantee she had was that he had something to do with Rey, and one of the main reasons she had to jump at the chance to earn money was a catastrophic lack of money to pay for university. She had no right to drop out, not now that her sister had dropped out in her favor, because the family could only afford to pay for one of sisters ' tuition!

"No, she won't," Rose said confidently, and looked Rey in the eye. She trusted her and could rely on her: her friend would never set her up for anything in her life. Who knows, maybe it's Rey's old friend. Rose already doubted that he was Rey's boyfriend, because she wouldn't personally let her boyfriend live with anyone or throw him out of the house. Of course, she still did not rule out this option, but attributed it to the unlikely. In any case, the man didn't look intimidating. Strange? Yes. Maybe a scientist, since he needed a quiet place and the ability to concentrate.

"You know, I was just about to put up a rental notice, but I don't want to take someone off the street. You know it's not safe right now, " Rose heard a car horn honk. "It’s Finn. Can we solve this problem on the way? Come on, please! I wanted to go to this party so much, I just can't say no!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, MgraHAnamcara, my beta for correcting my text!❤️ Thank you very much ❤️

Armitage sat between Rey and her friend, periodically noticing the look of an unfamiliar dark-skinned man through the rearview mirror. He sat through the car ride uncomfortably. Unpleasantly. And that's was an understatement. The wound began to ache unbearably under his ribs every time the car bounced on the road, which making Hux clench his teeth harder and try to look straight and calm so as not to attract too much attention. They were travelling at high speed, and Hux couldn't stop thinking that this guy could even outrun the cops. Maybe he's a local up and coming thug , and really believes himself to be in a chase. In any case, Rey probably didn’t know anything about it, just like her fearlessly naive friend. He cast a wary glance at the girl on his right, Rose.

This girl was clearly desperate, if she was going to take him in to her house without knowing anything about him. She didn't know even his name. It was a surprising fact, she wasn’t throwing rapid fire questions at him… Although he thought she was quite talkative. Perhaps because of the circumstances in the person of Rey who got into the car, she did not have time to ask him, it's was a pity. But he was already prepared to talk about himself and even show a fake passport.

If Rose didn't ask any questions at all, the driver didn't let up until he'd satisfied his curiosity. And he was clearly going to deal with Hux later. Most likely, when they arrive at the said Rose's home, the stranger will give him a fitting welcome, which meant Hux need to be ready and pull everything off. This driver immediately disliked him. When Hux had come out of the house with Rey and her friend, he had thought that this guy would burn a hole in him with his eyes: this guy was mad as hell. He immediately pounced on Rey with questions, clearly not going to listening to the explanation about Hux. He even ignored the nod of greeting. Though the nod was arrogant of him.

Hux chuckled. Maybe the guy was just jealous? Armitage didn't know for sure, but it seemed so. He hadn't found out anything about Rose yet, and there wasn't much information about Rey either. She went to a technical college, was adopted by the Kenobis, (the documents, of course, indicated that she grew up in their family initially, but Hux knew the truth), and currently living alone. No lavish weddings, no subtleties of personal life and relationships with friends. This kind of information he will have to get himself. He still had to create a relationship with them…

Hux doesn't know what Rey had told the driver about him: he hoped that he would never meet this man again, and that he would not become another problem. Because all such problems were solved by not too so humane methods… And both girls would most likely not be happy with this arrangement at all. Hux did not want to ruin things as they are going so well and spoil the running facade, which he was now replaying over and over again in his mind.

_He got into the backseat, where Rose indicated when she opened the door for him. Yes, he had memorized her name from the phone display, which he still hadn't taken out of his pocket. He didn't want to sit by the door: he needed a full view of the road so that he could remember how to get back, so he sat in the middle and fastened his seat belt, indicating that he wouldn't be moving any further. The second belt snapped to his right. Smart girl, that's good. For the first time, Hux looked at the person with he was going to work on: over the top of his glasses, a slight frown on his face. She didn't say anything, though he could tell by the look in her eyes that she was waiting for him to talk her. Well, he had a good story ready for that. Hux put his battered rucksack on his lap and adjusted his glasses, which had fallen down on his nose._

_According to the documents, he is now Riemann O'Connor, born in Ireland and…_

_"Ah, here we go. Let's go" Rey flopped into the car, slamming the door. Armitage and Rose both flinched at the loud sound at the same time . So we'll have to wait until we get back. It was probably for the best, because now Hux was going to study everyone's behavior thoroughly._

***

This was the best place to watch. Hux couldn't have asked for a better place and time to watch; he was sitting in a corner of a dark, noisy room, and no one was paying any attention to him. They were too late to be asked anything: everyone at the party was either drunk, under a high, or busy fucking in some room or corner; so Rey quickly pointed out a place for him in the room and gave him a cup of something to drink. Armitage didn't even try to find out what it was, because he wasn't going to drink anyway. It was too risky, and he didn’t want to ruin his facade. So he leaned on his arm and watched the people in the room with a bored expression.

A tall guy who Rey greeted warmly and the dark-skinned driver whose name Hux didn't recognize were playing poker at the table. Rey in the beginning took Rose somewhere in the other room and then came back in apparently good spirits. They went to the table and asked the driver for something, and the driver gave them a curt nod and pushed the speakers toward them. The hubbub changed to loud, deafening music, and Hux involuntarily covered his ears. The girls took the speakers and set them on the floor, screeching with joy, connecting special lighting effects for musical accompaniment. The laser beam cut painfully into Armitage's eyes, making him squint. For a few minutes more, bright flashes appeared everywhere. Hux blinked flustered and tilted his head slightly away from the rays so that the laser beam wouldn't blind him again. Rey and her friend were already shouting with delight and dancing sensually to the fast rhythm of the wild music. He must have looked just as weird when the older generation looked at him from the outside… It was so long ago.  
Hux grinned and adjusted his glasses. His gaze followed Rey everywhere, memorizing her every movement, and with a sinking heart, he admired the rays of the cheap laser player falling on her face. Rey was even more beautiful than when he'd last seen her. The dress in which she had appeared to him when he had come into the house was insanely becoming: it emphasized her figure, and was quite different from the hideous baggy clothes she had worn at the orphanage and at Platt's house. The way she learned to dance was an interesting and rather impressive addition to everything else. It was hard to call such a Rey a «sister». This Rey, he would never let her go…

Armitage flinched as someone coughed next to him. He mentally cursed the darkness and his own badtiming for getting the hots he should have been watching the three important figures and studying their behavior, rather than enjoying the opportunity to watch Rey freely in such an unaccustomed relaxing environment.

Hux turned to the stranger who had disturbed him with an air of absolute displeasure. Rose was standing next to his chair. He had to watch her, too. Armitage didn't even notice as she slipped off the «dance floor», leaving Rey to dance alone under the interested eyes of the guys at the gaming table. Hux seems to have only just seen this.

He turned back to Rose, intending to say something like this in his own defense: «I'm looking at her and waiting for you to run out of steam so I can get back to work.» But Rose was the first to start the conversation, seeming to completely ignore his, as it seemed to him, overly obvious interest about Kenobi.

«Hmm, Rey told me that you need somewhere to stay, and you are willing to pay for the rent of the room» her loud voice sounded calm and matter-of-fact, interrupting the music that had come down a notch.

«Young businesswoman». Hux suppressed a smile. Well, closer to the point, much more to the point.

Rose sat down on the arm of the chair so that she could be heard better.

«Yes, it is true» he answered curtly, looking searchingly into her eyes and continuing to express his frank displeasure at being asked anything at all. She was close to him, and he had to turn around to see her face.

Rose fell silent, confused, and seemed to be wondering how to get him to talk. Armitage waited in silence, studying her, hoping that she would make up her mind to say something. He wasn't going to deviate from a pre-planned pattern of behavior, so if she didn't say another word, well, the conversation would come to a stall again.

«Then I could offer you a good one» she still had something to say, and smiled. «Of course, I need a guarantee. I can count on you to pay regularly, and that you are, uh, a decent person and generally a good citizen?» Hux listened dispassionately, his eyes narrowed and his fingers intertwined on top of the knapsack he held on his lap.

«I don't have any outstanding loans», he said seriously, lifting his chin so that his glasses wouldn't slide down to the tip of his nose. «I go to the library six days a week and write a scientific paper, so I don't have time for the obscenities you mentioned» he added with disgust. Did he look like the kind of guy who would pick on girls? Did he take her hint correctly? The mocking question collided with simple rationality. Of course it does! She needed to feel safe, even though his words gave her no guarantee at all. Just a fact. Checked or unverified. So, he could understand her, perhaps if he were in her place, he would ask a hundred times more questions and still would not let anyone near his house.

«All right, I believe you» she said slowly. Hux chuckled. He could have sworn it wasn't true, because there was a flicker of doubt in her eyes. «But I would still like to have some confirmation…»

«You haven't really offered me anything yet, but you're already asking for guarantees?!» Armitage indignantly almost naturally: his eye twitched nervously.

«I'm…» she seems to have lost her fighting spirit from his claims. «I'm just sure you'll be happy with my proposal. My house is quiet, always…»

«… always a full refrigerator of food and convenient location of the house relative to the bus stop? With a garden under the window? There was a hint of mockery in the arrogant tone, and Hux broke off, thinking that he had overdone it. However, he had plenty of backup possibilities in the case she backed out.

«If there's money, there's food!» Rose said оffended and frowning. «I really have a park and a bus stop near my house… But frankly I don't understand what's wrong with you! In this situation, I have less…» Rose fell silent, and Hux seem to have guessed the reason why. She wanted to show him that she had not the slightest confirmation of what he was saying, while he should confine himself to her colorful descriptions of the proposed room. Well, it was a good thing she hadn't made that point, or he would have finally invalidate her arguments with a stronger one.

« We won't come to any decision that way. Even more so by mutual consent» he replied wearily, and his tone became a little calmer. He busily adjusted his glasses, which had fallen off the bridge of his nose again, and looked into Rose's eyes. «I'd like to see what you're offering me first, and then I'd like to make some other arrangements.»

«But if we go and I show you the room, you'll already know where I live, and then…» she broke off again, apparently trying to find a more appropriate way to continue. Careless. He already knew what she meant. Unfortunately, he had to agree with her again. A stranger who knows your address and that you live alone is quite a dangerous threat. With this statement, she puts him in a dead end, taking away the opportunity to bargain. Either he agrees right away, or he stays on the street. Not unless… Rey should have helped him with this contract, perhaps she would have vouched for him. Why had she left him such a difficult task?

«I guess we can't negotiate without a third person» he said skeptically, leaning back in his chair. «But do you have photographs of this room? Of course, I'm risking a lot by agreeing to a blind deal, but I'm willing to give in.»

Rose, who had been frowning in puzzlement for a moment, suddenly smiled. Yes, she really had photos of the room! She had just saved them for the ad. Of course, she hadn't really come up with a text for the ad yet, and somehow she hadn't considered the fact that she was going to have to live with someone… But if the circumstances were like this, and she could earn money now, before she was up to her ears in debt, then she had to agree.

«Yes, wait a sec» she took her cell phone out of her purse and after unlocking the screen and scrolling through several dozen photos with her sister (she had taken them when she saw her off), opened the photo of the room.

Hux watched her actions carefully, the photos that flashed by, recording new faces in his memory. Well, it was a passable room, and Rose was right. A bed, several shelves where books could be placed, and a desk with lockable drawers. It was even better than he had imagined, better than the place he had lived in before…

«Okay, let me think» Hux said condescendingly, looking up from the screen and back at Rose's face. «What do you want to hear from me so that we can move on to the next stage of the contract?»

Rose radiated happy surprise. She quickly turned over in her mind a thousand and one ways to protect herself in case something happened (if, after all, his words were not true and he behaved quite aggressively, although she could not imagine how this man, whose image she persistently associated with a strange nerd, clearly really focused on science, could suddenly harm her). But she couldn’t know for sure… First impressions could be deceptive.

She didn't know if she should bother with signing the papers or if limiting themselves to just an oral agreement. Oh, shit, they had to negotiate through Rey, who could easily replace the unnecessary paperwork and just act as a liaison: if she knew this stranger, she could assure her, Rose, that he would pay for the accommodation, control it, and in turn, convince him that Rose would not evict him prematurely and create suitable conditions for writing articles.

« I'd like to know your name, at least. Because everything else, I think, we can decide through Rey» she paused. «May I ask how you know her? How did you meet?»  
Hux was prepared for these questions: his story was quite satisfactory in these aspects. Still, he pretended to respond reluctantly.

«Our parents lived in neighboring houses, so we've known each other for a long time. I'm an old friend of hers» he ran a hand through his hair, smoothing it back. Hux was about to give her a false name, but for some reason he stopped. Maybe this was a test, and Rey had already told Rose his name. Then he would be really set himself up. 

«I'm Armitage, but you can also…

«Perfectly! Then, nice to meet you, Armitage» she interrupted him and held out her hand. « I'm Rose.»

In her eyes, he saw a faint haze of trust. Hux took the proffered hand.


End file.
